Improvement in breech-loading fire-arms



I'IEITYED STATES PATENT OEEIGE Joan M. encamina, oEoGDEN CITY, UTAH TnnniTonY-L iMPRovEMi-:NT INBREi-:cH-LoAnlNe FIRE-ARMS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 220,271., dated October 7, 1879,' application filed v --May-1e,-1s1e.

To 'all whom it may concern.: Be it known that I,- JOHN vM. BROWNING, of Ogden City, Utah Territory, have invented an Improvement in Breech-Loading Fire-Arms,

l of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to breech-loadin g irel l arms, and consists in certain details ot' construction, hereinafter 'fully describedand parpticularly indicated in the claims, whereby the .operating parts are lgreatly simplified and rendered more durable and certain in their operation.

In the drawings, Figure 1 represents a perspective view ot' the breech and a part of the 'stock of my improved gun. Fig. 2're'presents a longitudinal vertical section of Fig. 1, some of the -parts being shown in side elevation. Fig. 3 is a side elevation, the case being partlyy broken away to show thel interior mechanism. Fig. ejis a-topwiewg' some of 'the'parts being broken laway to show the position of the cartridge in place an d the retractor. l

My invention relates particularly to that =`tclassot' breech-loading lire-arms in which the breech is closed by avertically-sliding block operabtedfby the guard-lever, and carrying the hammer with it in .its motion up and down;

The breechblock aI slidesvertically within the breechpiece, to--fwhich -it-'ts closely, and against which it-bearshoth in front and rear, so that when it is raisediteft'ectuaHy and securely closes the breechof the gun. This breech-piece is moved by the guard-levert, to which it is connected by the link c, within the slot in the interior 'ot' the block. The guardlever b is pivoted to the breech-frame atd,

`slightly in front of the breech -b1ock. -The guard is also formed with lugs e c, adapted to t into the slotted breech-block and to receive between them the link c, to which they are. connected by a pin ata point within the slot when the guard is brought into a position forY firing. The guard-lever is also so constructed that when it is brought into the position last specied it etfectually closes, the opening through which the block and the hammer move when the lever is depressed, as inopening the breech.

The hammer f is pivoted to the block at g, within the slot of said block. The tail of the' hammer extends through the slot and rests, when the block is raised, under the end of the spring` h, which` is Isecured to the barrel, as

shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

The breech-piece is slottedto'the rear suffi# ciently to give space for the hammer when at full-cock. The hammer is constructed with 'an offset at t', against which 4the dog k bears, when the breech-block is raised, to close the breech. This dog is vpivoted at l, and is pro,- vided with an arm, m, andspring u, the latter bearing against the shell in the breech-frame, so as to keep the arm m pressed down against the trigger o. The pressure ofthel spring akeeps the end of the dog k against the-rear edge ofthe hammer, whether the breech-block be raised, as shown in Fig. 2, or lowered, as shown in Fig. 3. When the guard b is depressed for the purpose of opening the breech 'ofthe-gun, by-means ofthe links cihdra-Ws continued movement of the lever b, sothatKV the hammer is thrown `back by the completion of the movement and held at full-cock, resting over the point and on the breech-piece,

while in the latter part of the movement the tail of the hammer has come in contact with the spring h, and lifted it sufficiently to bring the strain of the spring upon the tail ofthe hammer, so as to givea suitable blow upon the tiring-pin. i

The breech-*block is supported when the guard-Ieverd's closedV by' means of `tli`links and lugs c e, the pivot-pin which connects the said link and lugs being carried into line with the otherlinlc-pin an d'pivot of the guardlever, 'or slightly past thevdeadfpoint, so as to iser curely lock the block in closedposition.

The firing-pin is of .the ordinary-construction, and is represented at p. The retractol1 is shown at q. It is pivoted at thc lower lcfthand corner in a slot in the breeclrpiece, and

rests in a recess cut in one side of the breechblock. The shape of the-retractor is shown in Fig. 3. At the lower end it has an offset,

fr, which projects into 'a groove in the lower part of the breech-block. 'A projection, s,- on the breech-block extending across the upper end of this lower slot strikes the offset r upon the lower endof the retractor when the block is near the limit of its downward motion, ,and throws the upper end of the retractor back, thus ejectin g the empty shell. A stud projecting inwardly upon the retractor, as shown 'at @Figa 4, rests beneath the ange of the shell, so as to obtain a. suitable hold and allow the retractor in its motion to throw VAout the shell.

The'retraetor extends rupward through its recess in the breech-piece, and the upper end of it is' Hush with the surface of the latter. 'This eiectually closes the vslot in thebree'eh-block .against the admission of .dirt o'r anything which-might clog` theblock. The breech-block is beveled at a', inorde-r to push home-the eartridge in case itshould happen not'to he sutliciently pushed forward into its placewhen the block rises.v

v I am aware that a breech-block carrying a I v`hammer pivoted upon' the block andcocked Vby upward motion of the said block,'in connection with the trigger, is not new.'A

VhatI claim as my invention, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent of the "United,

States, is-

1. Ina breech-loading fire-arm, the combination of the slottedbreech-block 'and-of the hammer pivoted within the slot with the spring in front of the block, projecting be tween the lugs e e of the guard-lever and bearing upon the tail of the hammer, and with the link c, connecting thev block and guardlevenfas set forth. v. v

f' 2. The combination of the slotted breechblock, the lugs e e, -the link c,'and the hammer f, pivoted at g, and extending between the lugs 0,'to bear against the spring h, as and.

for the purposes set forth. 3. The dog k, provided with the arm'm, resting onthe trigger' and with the spring n, op-

erating in connection withthe ,rear of the hammer andthe offset z', and with the breech-4` block and spring ii, as and for the purpose set 

